National Technical Reports Library

Why Did They Come to the United States: A Profile of Immigrant Scientists and Engineers.

PB2007111742

Publication Date

2007

Personal Author

Kannankutty, N.; Burrelli, J.

Page Count

8

Abstract

Over the past decade, both the U.S. college-educated workforce and the science and engineering (S&E) workforce have grown dramatically (NSF/SRS 2005). An important factor in that growth has been immigration: in 2003, of the 21.6 million scientists and engineers in the United States, 16% (3,352,000) were immigrants. Although it is simple to classify all of these individuals together under one label, doing so masks the great diversity within the group. It includes individuals from every continent in the world including those who came to the United States as infants, as well as those who came when they were well into their professional careers. It also includes those who were fully educated in the United States, some who were fully educated abroad, and some with a combination of degrees earned in the United States and abroad. This InfoBrief describes some of this groups major characteristics in 2003 and presents an analysis of reasons reported by immigrant scientists and engineers for first coming to the United States for 6 months or longer.

Why Did They Come to the United States: A Profile of Immigrant Scientists and Engineers.

Why Did They Come to the United States: A Profile of Immigrant Scientists and Engineers.PB2007111742

Publication Date

2007

Personal Author

Kannankutty, N.; Burrelli, J.

Page Count

8

Abstract

Over the past decade, both the U.S. college-educated workforce and the science and engineering (S&E) workforce have grown dramatically (NSF/SRS 2005). An important factor in that growth has been immigration: in 2003, of the 21.6 million scientists and engineers in the United States, 16% (3,352,000) were immigrants. Although it is simple to classify all of these individuals together under one label, doing so masks the great diversity within the group. It includes individuals from every continent in the world including those who came to the United States as infants, as well as those who came when they were well into their professional careers. It also includes those who were fully educated in the United States, some who were fully educated abroad, and some with a combination of degrees earned in the United States and abroad. This InfoBrief describes some of this groups major characteristics in 2003 and presents an analysis of reasons reported by immigrant scientists and engineers for first coming to the United States for 6 months or longer.